Creation: Proletarian Liberation Struggle Association Political Economy Group
Recently, the incident of the Zelensky government in Ukraine selling out the country for glory has caused a stir, and internationally, Ukraine is often compared to Taiwan. In online discussions across the Taiwan Strait, many people use the Ukraine situation to “predict” Taiwan’s future. Such comparisons are not entirely baseless; for China and Russia, Taiwan and Ukraine are both key regions in the struggle against U.S. imperialism, and both are currently governed by comprador governments supported by U.S. imperialism. These two places are not only strategic battlegrounds in imperialist rivalry but also frontlines for colonized and semi-colonized peoples opposing imperialist aggression. However, the governments on both sides of the strait have expressed a “unified” rejection of this analogy…
Regarding the external tendency to equate Ukraine with Taiwan, especially concerning the recent issue of the Ukrainian government selling out the country for surrender, Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Zhi-zhong stated: “Taiwan is not Ukraine.” He seems to want to demonstrate that Taiwan will not sell out for glory like Ukraine’s government and will firmly “defend Taiwan.” However, his explanation is utterly absurd; he claims Taiwan has a Taiwan Strait barrier, and that the semiconductor industry is crucial, and that the Taiwan Strait situation even affects the global economy. These claims are completely unfounded. First, the so-called “Taiwan Strait barrier” that can resist China’s military threats is undoubtedly a self-deceiving illusion. Just this late February, on the eve of the “Two Sessions,” the Taiwanese military announced that the Chinese Eastern Theater Navy suddenly set up a temporary exercise zone and conducted firing drills in the southwest Taiwan Sea on February 26. At that time, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense criticized this as a “blatant provocation to regional security and stability.” Can the Taiwan Strait become a “natural barrier” against Chinese military actions? China has continuously increased military threats against Taiwan over the years, shattering this geographical determinism illusion. As for the so-called “semiconductor industry being crucial, and the Taiwan Strait situation affecting the global economy,” this further exposes the comprador nature of the Taiwanese government. Wu Zhi-zhong also added that Japan is strengthening its defense capabilities to respond to changes in the Indo-Pacific situation and supports Taiwan-Japan exchanges and dialogue, which are vital for Taiwan. Regarding its American masters, he even openly stated that the Trump administration “defends America’s Asia-Pacific interests, and protecting Taiwan and defending our country’s interests are aligned.” However, the words of Taiwan’s comprador mouthpieces have once again shot themselves in the foot. Whether it is the U.S. imperialist’s layout in the Asia-Pacific region, with Taiwan being regarded as a “never-sinking aircraft carrier,” or TSMC expanding semiconductor investments in the U.S., or Taiwan becoming the U.S.'s seventh-largest trading partner, all these phenomena only show that the U.S.'s “protection” of Taiwan is entirely for its monopolist bourgeoisie’s own interests, and certainly not for the safety of the Taiwanese people. Correspondingly, as early as 2021, before the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, the U.S. increased military aid to Ukraine to $300 million annually through legislation. This year, the U.S. remains the largest provider of aid to Ukraine. However, when the Trump administration took power and the U.S. imperialists attempted to reconcile with Russian imperialists and concentrate efforts to compete with Chinese imperialists, the U.S. unhesitatingly chose to sacrifice the interests of the Ukrainian people. Taiwan’s comprador government relies on U.S. aid and where does this confidence come from? They not only fail to analyze the current U.S.-Ukraine and U.S.-Taiwan relations but also seem to forget their ancestors—the Kuomintang government abandoned by U.S. masters during the final days of its rule on the mainland.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the strait, the Taiwan Affairs Office of China held a routine press conference on March 12. When asked about how to view the remarks of Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spokesperson Chen Binhua stated: “The Taiwan issue and the Ukraine issue are fundamentally different. The Taiwan issue is entirely China’s internal affair and does not tolerate any external interference.” He further claimed that the Democratic Progressive Party government’s past rhetoric of “Today Ukraine, tomorrow Taiwan” was aimed at leveraging external forces to “resist China and oppose China,” but now they are “helpless, guilty, and trembling,” unable to dispel the worries of many Taiwanese that “pawns” will inevitably become “discarded pieces.” These remarks from the China-Taiwan side clearly reveal its imperialist ambitions. The Taiwanese people’s concerns about the Taiwan Strait situation are undoubtedly linked to the surrender policies of the comprador government and anti-“communist” propaganda, but the fundamental reason is precisely the fascist rule of the China-Taiwan government and its frequent military provocations. After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, China-Taiwan tried to imitate Russia and used Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as an excuse to launch an invasion. However, after witnessing Russia’s predicament in the war, the China-Taiwan government dared not rashly “fire the first shot” and temporarily withdrew its saber. Highly politically sensitive, China-Taiwan emphasizes that the Taiwan issue is China’s internal matter while simultaneously being restless, attempting to reenact Russia’s story—this is nothing but a typical case of “shooting oneself in the foot.” The “Two Sessions” officially closed on March 11, and the government work report for Taiwan did not mention “peaceful reunification” for two consecutive years. This is not a simple word game but reflects that, amid the worsening domestic economic crisis and intensifying international imperialist rivalry, China-Taiwan is increasingly pushing war onto the agenda and propagating the reactionary fallacy that “unification” is inevitable.
Whether it is relying on U.S. imperialist aid, believing Taiwan will not follow Ukraine’s path, or claiming that invading Taiwan is purely an “internal affair,” these are reactionary bourgeois positions. Taiwan and Ukraine are both frontlines in the struggle against the two major imperialist groups—China (Russia) and the U.S.—and also the frontlines for colonized and semi-colonized peoples fighting against imperialism. Taiwan’s future will not become today’s Ukraine, not because of U.S. aid, nor can it rely on the China-Taiwan “peaceful reunification” policy. The future of Ukraine is not decided by Zelensky’s comprador clique; likewise, the fate of the Taiwan Strait can only be in the hands of the people on both sides of the strait.
